Which Indian social theorist had argued that the idea of a homogenized

Which Indian social theorist had argued that the idea of a homogenized Hinduism was constructed through the ‘cultural arrogance’ of post-enlightenment Europe?

[amp_mcq option1=”Ashis Nandy” option2=”Partha Chatterjee” option3=”T. K. Oommen” option4=”Rajni Kothari” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2019
Ashis Nandy is the Indian social theorist who has argued that the idea of a homogenized Hinduism was constructed through the ‘cultural arrogance’ of post-Enlightenment Europe.
Ashis Nandy’s work critically examines the impact of colonialism and Western categories on Indian identity and culture. He argues that the colonial gaze and the post-Enlightenment Western framework of understanding religion as a unified, systematic entity contributed to the redefinition and homogenization of the diverse practices, beliefs, and traditions known as Hinduism into a single, uniform religion.
Nandy suggests that this homogenization served colonial administrative purposes and also influenced Indian nationalist thought, leading to the adoption of a more unified identity that did not fully reflect the historical and regional diversity of religious practices in India. Partha Chatterjee has written on colonial power, nationalism, and civil society, T. K. Oommen on social movements, identity, and religion, and Rajni Kothari on Indian politics and democracy, but Nandy is particularly known for this specific critique regarding the colonial construction of categories like Hinduism.
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